IU gets new assistant

The men's basketball coaching carousel has stopped -- for now. \nIU men's basketball coach Mike Davis announced Friday the hiring of Kerry Rupp as an assistant coach for the Hoosiers in 2004-2005.\nRupp, 50, will be replacing former IU assistant coach Ben McDonald, who resigned May 12.\nRupp was previously at Utah for three seasons where he oversaw the program's scouting of opponents and recruiting, helping the Utes to NCAA tournament appearances in all three seasons and two Mountain West Conference championships.\nHaving the opportunity to join a recognized program like IU and work with Davis was one that he couldn't pass up, Rupp said in a statement.\n"I've traveled all over the world and studied many successful coaches and programs," Rupp said. "That is why getting the opportunity to work under coach Davis at Indiana University is truly an honor."\nBefore joining the Utah staff in August 2001, Rupp was a high school coach in Utah for 24 years. In Rupp's most recent high school coaching spot he was at East High School in Salt Lake City from 1986 to 2001. Rupp was promoted to head coach in 1990 and led the Leopards to four region championships and two appearances in the state title game. While at East High School, Rupp served as athletics director from 1992 to 1999, when he was named Coach of the Year by the Utah High School Activities Association.\nWhile at Utah, Rupp was an assistant under men's basketball head coach Rick Majerus. In January, Majerus resigned due to health problems, leaving the head coaching seat vacant.\nRupp was promoted to interim head coach and led the Utes to a 9-4 record and a Mountain West Conference tournament championship.\nThe team advanced to the NCAA tournament after winning the conference tournament title. The Utes were seeded 11th in the tournament and fell to six seed Boston College in Milwaukee, 58-51, in the first round.\nOnce the season concluded, Utah named Ray Giacoletti from Eastern Washington its new head coach and Giacoletti decided not to keep Rupp on staff.\nFor IU to gain a coach with the amount of experience Rupp has will be a significant addition for the Hoosiers, Davis said in a statement.\n"Kerry's success throughout his career, especially working for a great coach like Rick Majerus, speaks for itself," Davis said. "Kerry is a veteran coach with a tremendous work ethic, and he brings a lot of energy to a program. I am anxious to start working with him."\nRupp has been involved with basketball on many levels including the National Basketball Association. In 1993, he was the Utah Jazz Summer League coordinator and in 1996 was part of the Seattle Supersonics Summer League staff at the Rocky Mountain Revue.\nThere is one word that characterizes Rupp: "teacher," Majerus said in a statement.\n"He's a teacher extraordinaire, and he knows how to impart his knowledge and help players become better," Majerus said. "Kerry is a genuine guy who has a heartfelt concern for the players, and yet he remains a tough disciplinarian."\nThis is the second coaching change for the Hoosiers in as many years as assistant coach Thad Fitzpatrick joined the staff last season after Jim Thomas left the staff in the summer of 2003.\n-- Contact staff writer Dan Click at daaclick@indiana.edu.